Month: October 2016

We’ve finally had our gender reveal party!! And as many of you already know, it’s a girl! despite the literally overwhelming amount of people (including myself) who had their bets on it being a little boy, it is indeed a little lady. You have no idea how difficult it has been not to share this with everyone! Dan and I have known for just over a month now, and I’ve been itching to tell everyone since. Lots of people have asked why we didn’t wait until she was born to find out that she was a girl and in all honesty, we’re far too impatient for that. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to properly prepare for her arrival, colour scheme and all, by not finding out.

In the past two weeks we’ve had a lot on! We’ve been to Bundaberg and back, had another appointment with our midwife, booked in for our antenatal class (yes! finally), scheduled my Glucose Test (ew), Planned a getaway for my birthday weekend (IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS, YAS!) and we witnessed, for the first time in real life, a lady in labour. Holy Jesus… the lady in labour, never have I heard a scream so loud and so emotional in my whole entire life. Which then of course, launched me into the curiosity of what my own labour will be like.

From there I made the firm decision that I would be, to the best of my ability and as long as it is safe for myself and our baby, going entirely Natural (this is not to say that I am not open to all possibilities happening, I’m aware that birth can take many different turns that one doesn’t always have a say in what happens, especially in emergencies). I know what you’re thinking… but you just said the lady was screaming and loud, why would you want that? Why not drug it up? And as much as I respect all women and their chosen ways of birthing (ladies, you’re all Queens), personally I feel that birthing, the way nature intended, is a life event that I want to experience in full.

Funnily enough I’ve actually begun looking forward to the birth (yes I’m crazy and optimistic, isn’t it wonderful?) ever since my midwife suggested looking up hypnobirthing, and I can’t imagine our babies journey into the world any other way. The basic principles are that a calm, relaxed and focused mother can subside pain and further create a calmer, happier baby (sounds ludicrous right?). So I’m staying optimistic and delving myself further into studying hypnobirthing and how to personalise it for myself. If any of my fellow mummas to be would like to know what I’m going on about feel free to message me, maybe we can share our crazy dream of a better way of birthing together.

How’ve I been feeling? Well, very very positive lately, despite a few things happening in our lives to do with our close family recently that have been definitely quite sad, I’ve felt like my hormones have actually been helping me cope with these things. It’s almost like they remind me that despite the things that are happening now, there are good things coming very soon to look forward to. Never in my life have I been able to deal with grief in such a way, to feel so at peace with the fact that loved ones, although have left us, are now in a better place where they can be entirely free of the boundaries that life at times sets up for us. I’d like to know if this is linked to my hormones (you know, scientifically) and the more instinctive way of my body not holding on to stress and grief to accommodate for the little life inside of me.

Health wise I’ve been bumping (pun intended) along quite nicely. I’ve not experienced nausea in a long long while, and I’ve been trying to keep exercise in my daily routine to the best of my ability, as well as still devouring fruit like a fruit bat who’s been starved for weeks. Our little girl is always kicking and flipping and reminding us of how big she’s getting, so everything is looking very on track so far! I just can’t begin to describe how overjoyed I’ve been feeling, to finally let everyone know that he/she is actually a SHE. It still shocks me every single day that somehow, all on its own my body is growing this tiny, beautiful little human, and that in February we’ll finally get to meet her. Hopefully we can narrow the long list of names we like sometime before then!

If I haven’t said it already, time really flies. We’re now half way through our 21st week! So I thought I better do another update.

Lots and lots and lots has happened these last two weeks. And that’s not even with regards to the pregnancy, life has just been so crazy… that’s September/October right… things on every weekend, things on during the week, people to visit, places to go. It’s really never ending, all which comes with the good and the bad. We’ve had some exciting things and some things the very furthest you can get from exciting. But all aside, life goes on, and I’m taking every day as a gift, with as much love in my heart I can have for everyone around me.

Second trimester is well and truly happening. My days are filled with more energy than I’ve felt this entire pregnancy, and a never ending hunger that literally nothing has been able to subside. Give me kiwi-fruit, banana, weet-bix, and I’ll eat them for eternity. As well as my craving for cake, that still won’t and probably never will go away. Let’s be honest- I craved cake even before I was pregnant, cake is life.

Something I encountered a few days ago that is definitely out of the ordinary (well for me, it’s usual for pregnancy) is dizziness. My word. Never have I ever spent an entire day feeling completely unable to walk straight, I literally felt drunk, and what’s more when people spoke to me, it sounded like their words were all strewn together. I found myself needing to literally go over what they had said in my head to understand what they were saying. Needless to say I felt useless at work, like I was working drunk but still had a sober thought process, meaning I could only get frustrated with my own body and ability to hear. Bless them though, as they sent me home to get some rest earlier than I was rostered to (much love guys).

Daniel looked it up, as we were both worried that maybe there was something wrong with my blood pressure/heart rate or something like that. But most websites said that it was a usual occurrence in second trimester for pregnant women to encounter. We have a meeting with our Midwife with Wednesday morning coming anyway, so I’ll bring it up with her just to be sure I’m not falling apart.

For the most part I’m enjoying my growing little bump, besides the general uncomfortableness at night. Stretch marks are still at bay, though I feel as though inevitably they will come. Which in no way makes me sad, I’m just hoping that they’re gracious and not all over the place. Though the beginnings of a few on my chest are starting to appear, there’s nothing coconut oil can’t soothe.

Our gender reveal party is in 5 days! And I bet you’re itching to know if it’s a girl or boy. Trust me, we’re itching to share it with you. I still have to take a step back and remember that this is real life some times, I can’t express how thankful I am for all of the love and support we have and still are receiving from everyone, you warm our hearts and fill us with more confidence than you could imagine. We just know our little one is already so loved, and that gives us so much faith that we’re doing the right thing by bringing our baby into the world. So thank you all.

Eighteen and a half weeks to go!
(Ps, that ring on my finger in the photo, because I know someone will ask, is on my right hand. Calm down, Dans not there just yet 😉 )

I haven’t quite yet looked into your eyes, and your daddy hasn’t quite yet got to hold your tiny little hand, but it’s not too early for both of us to know just how much we love you. Before you make your journey into this big beautiful world there’s a few things you should know.

There’s an awful lot of love waiting out here for you, I hope you’re ready for your 4 aunties and uncles, who are all incredibly excited to meet you, not to mention all of the aunties and uncles who aren’t quite blood but will love you all the same. There’s also the 4 grandparents, who already have a place in their hearts just for you, most will be near, though some will be further than we’ll be able to take you to visit, just remember that although you can’t see it, their love for you will always be in your heart. There’s also 9 Great Grandparents (holy moly right?!) who all I’m sure will shower you in love and spoil you beyond I or Daddy’s wildest dreams. AND two Great-Great Grandparents! Goodness. Not to meantion all the other family members, near, far and in our hearts.

You’ll have a lot of learning to do, but we want you to remember that it’s okay to make mistakes in that learning. After all I don’t doubt that we will make mistakes along side of you, we’ll be learning how to be parents ourselves, so don’t be too hard on us, and we’ll do the same for you, deal?

There’s probably going to be an awful lot of opinions around about what you should be doing, which milestone you should be reaching and in what time. But we’ll be patient with you, everything you need to do you will do in your own time, which will be perfect timing if you ask us. We won’t be over here rushing you to grow up. And please don’t do it too quickly!

There’ll be times when you’re in trouble, no matter how well behaved you normally are. And although we will be frustrated or angry with you we will still love you, even if you are out later than you said you would be on a school night or didn’t text us when you said you would. There are far more important things in life to worry about, as long as you’re being safe and honest with us we can’t ask more of you. Eventually we’ll get over whatever we were angry at you for.

Keep tabs of the things that are happening in your life! Take lots of photos, write down amazing things that happen during the day, keep a little box of notes you’ve written to your friends in class, funny pictures you’ve drawn, tickets for places you’ve visited. We’ll probably have lots of little keepsakes and funny memories from your childhood, and if you keep your own one day you’ll be able to show your own kids, just like I will show you all of mine, even if you think they’re lame.

Isn’t it crazy that only 20 weeks ago you suddenly existed?! And in 20 more weeks we will have you in our arms. Every part of your existence has come from nothing but love, and there is so much love waiting for you out here. Keep growing strong, showing us your little back flips and kicking up a storm when daddy laughs near you. We can already tell you’re full of so much happiness, laughter and light, all of which I’m certain will follow you out into the world.

I’ll probably have more to add to this letter, more about making friends (and keeping them), growing up and I’m sure eventually girlfriends and boyfriends but for now, we’ll just leave it to, we love you, and we can’t wait to meet you our wonderful little one.